City Directories and History: This is one of the buildings used by the British during their occupation of Winnsboro, Oct. 1780 – Jan. 1781, and is thought to have been used by Lord Cornwallis as his headquarters. The original portion of the house is made of massive mason wall; the wooden wing is a later addition. This was owned and occupied at one time by Capt. John Buchanan, Revolutionary War soldier and friend of General Lafayette. [Courtesy of Chamber of Commerce]
Researching the history of this home and studying the 1905 Sanborn Map, see below, is highly informative and shows the house faced College Street, not North Zion Street, with massive front porches and not with its façade on North Zion Street. This is also suggestive that the McMaster Hotel, a very old building just around the corner on North Congress (demolished), was also part of the housing used for the British during their occupancy of the town.
Click on the More Information – PDFs > link found below the picture column for additional data or pictures.
Informative link: National Register, Cornwallis House Tour
Stay Connected
Explore history, houses, and stories across S.C. Your membership provides you with updates on regional topics, information on historic research, preservation, and monthly feature articles. But remember R&R wants to hear from you and assist in preserving your own family genealogy and memorabilia.
Visit the Southern Queries – Forum to receive assistance in answering questions, discuss genealogy, and enjoy exploring preservation topics with other members. Also listed are several history and genealogical researchers for hire.
User comments welcome — post at the bottom of this page.
Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road.
Do you have information to share and preserve? Family, school, church, or other older photos and stories are welcome. Send them digitally through the “Share Your Story” link, so they too might be posted on Roots and Recall.
Thanks!
User comments always welcome - please post at the bottom of this page.
Share Your Comments & Feedback: